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PHOTO OF THE WEEK: “Morning in the Garden.” In the weekly calendar we are featuring a photo that was an entry in our 2012 photo contest. The winners ran in the Dec. 22 weekend edition of Homes Gardens of the Northwest.
Karl Kaiser, Northeast Portland

 

Events are free unless noted. Fees usually include materials; call to confirm. All area codes are 503 unless noted.

EVENTS

SATURDAY, FEB. 2

Mary’s Peak Orchid Society Annual Show and Sale: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Exhibits and judging. Receive expert advice, and bring your own orchids to be repotted for a fee. Garland Nursery, 5470 N.E. Highway 20, Corvallis; www.garlandnursery.com or 541-753-6601

Gardener’s Winter Guided Walk: 11 a.m.-noon. Garden curator Courtney Vengarick leads a walk to view blooming plants. Leach Botanical Garden, 6704 S.E. 122nd Ave.; www.leachgarden.org or 823-9503

SUNDAY, FEB. 3

Open House: 1 p.m. Kym Pokorny — garden writer for Homes Gardens of the Northwest — will review the best gardening books for kids and veggie growers as well as books that have given her insight and spurred her imagination as a Northwest gardener. Garden Fever, 3433 N.E. 24th Ave.; www.gardenfever.com or 287-3200

MONDAY, FEB. 4

Therapeutic Garden Volunteer Information Sessions: 1-2 p.m. Get information on how you can help with garden maintenance, planting projects, clerical work and other volunteer opportunities in the Legacy Health System Horticultural Therapy Program. Registration required; meeting details given at that time. Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center, 1015 N.W. 22nd Ave.; www.legacyhealth.org/gardens or 413-7012

TUESDAY, FEB. 5

Clark County Master Gardener Foundation: 7 p.m. Mark Hallenbeck on “Bees and the Trees.” CASEE Center, 11104 N.E. 149th St., Brush Prairie, Wash.; http://mgfcc.com

Washington County Master Garden Speaker Series: 7:15 p.m. Penny Durant on the challenges and rewards of growing olive trees in Oregon and pressing olives for oil. First Baptist Church, 5755 S.W. Erickson Ave., Beaverton; www.metromastergardeners.org/washington

THURSDAY, FEB. 7

Fort Vancouver Rose Society: 7 p.m. James Pestillo on old garden roses. Clark County Genealogical Society, 717 Grand Blvd., Vancouver; 360-281-7270

SATURDAY, FEB. 9

African Violet Sale: 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Sale, display and demonstrations. Sponsored by the Portlandia Violet Club. Portland Nursery, 9000 S.E. Division St.; 761-7861

CLASSES + DEMONSTRATIONS

SATURDAY, FEB. 2

Fruit-tree Pruning: 9-11:50 a.m. Demonstrations and practice of pruning methods for a variety of fruit trees. Home Orchard Society Arboretum, 19600 S. Molalla Ave. (north corner of Clackamas Community College campus), Oregon City; $10; http://depts.clackamas.edu/hort or 594-3292

Hidden Habitats: Nesting Birds on Your Land: 9 a.m.-noon. Learn how to take care of your land while avoiding harming birds during critical nesting periods. Sauvie Island Grange Hall, 14443 N.W. Charlton Road; www.wmswcd.org or 238-4775

Gardening for the Birds: 10 a.m. Discover what plants are essential for wild-bird food and shelter at various times of the year and learn how to get your garden certified as a backyard bird habitat. Dennis’ 7 Dees Garden Center, 10455 S.W. Butner Road, Beaverton; $5; http://tinyurl.com/cgfqn9u or 297-1058

Small Fruits and Berries: 10 a.m. Al’s Garden Center, 1220 N. Pacific Highway, Woodburn; www.als-gardencenter.com or 981-1245

Starting From Seed With Success: 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Tips and technique for indoor seed-starting, lighting and fertilizing requirements, hardening off seedlings, amending planting beds and more. Registration required at the website. Portland Nursery, 9000 S.E. Division St.; www.portlandnursery.com or 788-9000

What to Do in the Garden in February: 11 a.m. Registration required. Tsugawa Nursery, 410 E. Scott Ave., Woodland, Wash.; http://tsugawanursery.com/events.htm or 360-225-8750

Four-patch Mosaic Lap Quilt: Noon-3 p.m. Make a 33-by-38-inch quilt that could be used as a wall hanging, lap quilt or baby quilt. This is the first of three classes that complete this quilt. Registration required. Next classes are noon-3 p.m. Feb. 23 and March 2. The Wade Creek House, 664 Wade St., Estacada; $45 series; http://thewadecreekhouse.blogspot.com or 630-7556

Integrating Edibles: 1 p.m. Learn to think beyond the separate raised vegetable bed, and grow edibles throughout your garden. Portland Nursery, 5050 S.E. Stark St.; www.portlandnursery.com or 231-5050

Landscape Design Concepts: 1-2:30 p.m. Registration required at website. Portland Nursery, 9000 S.E. Division St.; www.portlandnursery.com or 788-9000

SUNDAY, FEB. 3

Planning Your Year of Vegetables: 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Learn about cool- versus warm-weather crops, keeping a garden journal, the basics of successive planting and crop rotation, and other tips for a well-planned garden. Registration required at website. Portland Nursery, 9000 S.E. Division St.; www.portlandnursery.com or 788-9000

Make Your Own Terrarium: 1 p.m. Registration required. Al’s Garden Center, 1220 N. Pacific Highway, Woodburn; $25, includes supplies; www.als-gardencenter.com or 981-1245

Naturescaping Basics: 1-5 p.m. Design a low-maintenance chemical-free landscape that conserves water and minimizes pollution while saving time, money and energy. Offered through East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District. Registration required. Tualatin Hills Nature Park, 15655 S.W. Millikan Way, Beaverton; www.emswcd.org or 222-7645

Winter Garden Design Ideas: 1 p.m. Get ideas for designing or redesigning your yard with a mix of conifers and evergreens. Registration required. Farmington Gardens, 21815 S.W. Farmington Road, Aloha; www.farmingtongardens.com or 649-4568

Winter Pruning: 1 p.m. Brent Ward explains many of the things that should (and should not) be pruned around this time, and how they should be pruned to improve structure and health. Portland Nursery, 5050 S.E. Stark St.; www.portlandnursery.com or 231-5050

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 6

Urban Pest Management: 8 a.m.-4:50 p.m. Workshop covers pest control on ornamental plants. Registration required. In Gregory Forum. Clackamas Community College, 19600 S. Molalla Ave., Oregon City; $75-$85; 541-737-3541

FRIDAY, FEB. 8

Rain Gardens: 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Workshop on designing and engineering rain gardens in Clark County. Offered through the Watershed Stewards program of WSU Clark County Extension and Clark County Environmental Services Clean Water program. Registration required. Water Resources Education Center, 4600 S.E. Columbia Way, Vancouver; $15; 360-397-6060, ext. 5705

SATURDAY, FEB. 9

Naturescaping Basics: 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Design a low-maintenance, chemical-free landscape that conserves water and minimizes pollution while saving time, money and energy. Offered through East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District. Registration required. Greater Gresham Baptist Church, 3848 N.E. Division St., Gresham; www.emswcd.org or 222-7645

All About Sunflowers: 10-11 a.m. Kids ages 5-10 get a tour of the Robinwood Garden kids bed, learn how sunflowers are grown and get samples of foods containing sunflower seeds. Robinwood Station, 3706 Cedaroak Drive, West Linn; $5; robinwoodgarden@gmail.com

Inviting Mason Bees to Your Garden: 11 a.m. Registration required. Tsugawa Nursery, 410 E. Scott Ave., Woodland, Wash.; http://tsugawanursery.com/events.htm or 360-225-8750

Nuts and Bolts of Landscape Design: 1-2:30 p.m. Class covers design layout, hardscaping, material selection and how to create a finished garden plan. Registration required at website. Portland Nursery, 9000 S.E. Division St.; www.portlandnursery.com or 788-9000

Working With Water: 1 p.m. Learn what it takes to integrate stormwater into your landscape with dry creekbeds and drywells, swales and other techniques. Portland Nursery, 5050 S.E. Stark St.; www.portlandnursery.com or 231-5050

Click for public gardens.

Calendar items run on a space-available basis. Please submit notices at least one month before the event to Homes Gardens Listings Desk, The Oregonian, 1320 S.W. Broadway, Portland, OR 97201; or by email (send as a plain text file, with Homes Gardens in the subject line) to listings@oregonian.com. Except for cancellations and corrections, notices cannot be accepted by phone.

the mag

Hollytree display

One of the many landscaping displays at the 2012 Home and Garden Show in Grove.

Posted: Wednesday, January 30, 2013 10:36 am
|


Updated: 7:13 pm, Wed Jan 30, 2013.

Gorgeous Gardens and Inspiring Design at annual Home Garden Show

Staff Reports

Grove Sun – Delaware County Journal

Don’t miss your opportunity to turn your home and garden dreams into reality at the 15th Annual Home Garden Show.

Each year hundreds gather at the show to see ways to refresh and renew their homes and the Home and Garden Show is ready to deliver with expert solutions.

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Wednesday, January 30, 2013 10:36 am.

Updated: 7:13 pm.

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Grove Sun,

Home And Garden Show,

Grove Area Chamber Of Commerce,

Grove,

Okla.,

Grand Lake

Channel the inner designer in you and enter the “Dreaming of Design” Matchmaker Round as part of the Mid-Atlantic Home Garden Show March 1-3 in Virginia Beach.

To participate in the design room challenge, you design your dream 10-by-14-foot room online, using a $2,500 budget for Value City Furniture. The winner actually receives a $2,500 shopping spree at Value City Furniture.

 Once submitted, the four contestants with the most votes will then create their design rooms and tweak them with the help of an interior designer at the show. The winner receives a $2,500 shopping spree to Value City Furniture.

General guidelines

• Contestants must be at least 18 years old
• Contestants must not have received any professional training or instruction in residential interior design or have worked in the design industry
• Designs must be submitted on a “Look Board” as a .jpg file Jan. 18 through 5 p.m. Feb. 8.
• Public voting is Feb. 9 through midnight Feb. 17- utilize your social networking skills to get as many votes as possible
• Four finalists will be announced Feb. 18 – based on voting and opinion of the judges
• Finalists must agree to be interviewed and photographed to publicize the event
• March 1 at 10 am the four finalists will have 8 hours to create their designs during the Mid-Atlantic Home and Garden Show at the Virginia Beach Convention Center
• Value City will provide the furniture and Valspar/Lowe’s will give each finalist a $250 allowance for paint and supplies
• Judging will take place on Saturday, March 2, and winners will be announced at 1 p.m. on the main stage.

To participate, visit www.midatlantichomeshow.com where you will see how to enter and helpful tips for creating your room.

 

Posted by Kathy Van Mullekom; kvanmullekom@aol.com

FOLLOW KATHY:

http://pinterest.com/digginin/

Dubbed ‘Stone Garden’, the installation comprises 222 table-like elements made out of seven different pebble shaped quartz surfaces and nine different stone colours, each supported by a simple metal rod and secured by an overlapping design. The elements are clustered together to form a seemingly floating landscape.

According to Oki Sato, founder and chief designer of Nendo, “The installation also explores the boundary between ‘furniture’ and ‘non-furniture.’ Tables that aren’t quite tables form a cluster, creating a new kind of ground surface like a garden floating in the universe, far beyond the scale of individual tables. The unique variety and quality of natural colours and textures of the Caesarstone surfaces are perfect to be arranged in a composition like the stylized landscape of a Japanese rock garden.”

The simplicity of the design reflects the minimalistic approach of Nendo and the quality, functionality and creativity of Caesarstone. The installation showcases the versatility of Caesarstone’s surface designs that can complement any space like the different shapes, depths and directions of overlaps forming this installation.

Interior Design Show was held on 24-27 January 2013 at Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Central Lounge.

Garden designer, lecturer and plantsman Sean Hogan is a busy man these days. Between designing gardens in far-flung places, plant collecting expeditions in foreign lands and speaking for trade and horticutural groups around the globe, it’s catch-as-catch-can to find him on his home turf anymore.

But there are few designers with more of a passion for winter-flowering plants. Sean’s home garden has always showcased winter-flowering plants, from the ever-present winter-blooming Correa on his front porch steps to the winter-blooming blood-red Camellia and flowering quince in his “blood and guts border”.

He hunts the globe for uncommon plants that can be grown in our region, equally interested in rare old cultivars and new wild collections that could prove cold-hardy for local conditions.

I asked him to list three of his current favorite, uncommon winter-blooming plants for Pacific Northwest gardeners.

Here are his three top picks – perfect for right here, right now. 

Clematis cirrhosa ‘Wisley Cream’

Why grow this plant? “Well, for one, it’s a winter-flowering vine – that’s a good reason by itself! Clematis cirrhosa is a pretty vine with white, maroon-speckled flowers and smallish, glossy green, mostly evergreen leaves, but Wisley Cream (not pictured here) has especially lovely chartreuse to creamy yellow clusters of bells produced in early- to mid-winter, lasting until mid-spring or thereabouts.”

Care: It’s easy to grow, liking its top in sun for best flowering. Decent drainage is important – don’t even try it in swampy soil. The plant is from North Africa and the Mediterranean, so it’s accustomed to wet winters and dry summers – it’s better to neglect it than over-water in summer.

Tip: Clematis cirrhosa only reaches about 15′ tall so it’s perfect for small trellises or even for containers. Just try to keep the base of the plant (roots) in shade.

Camellia transnokoensis

Why grow this plant? “This is the un-camellia camellia! Not your big red blobby japonica camellia, C. transnokoensis had the delicate leaves of an evergreen huckleberry, forming an upright pyramid with horizontal sprays of foliage. Stems are gold in color, contrasting with new growth that’s tinted red. In early winter to mid-spring, depending on the year, it produces the prettiest clusters of white- to blushed pearl flowers that are very fragrant. It reaches 6-8′ tall and is about half that narrow.”

Care: It’s pretty straight-forward: half-sun is best (morning sun is ideal). It comes from southern China, where it receives some summer rain, so water occasionally in summer. Average soil is fine, as long as it drains okay.

Tip: There are a few plants that are very similar in appearance and are virtually indistinguishable so if you see C. transnokoensis, C. transarisanensis or C. lutchuensisfor sale somewhere, grab it! They are all great, notwithstanding the convoluted names. 

Daphne bholua ‘Darjeeling’

Why grow this plant? “This is a classic “impress-your-relatives-from-Iowa” plant that should go right by your front door so everyone sees it! Daphne bholua is one of the most fragrant of all daphnes, the scent being a bit more custardy than pungent. It’s also one of the earliest to bloom, with the first petals sometimes unfurling as early as November. (This year, it’s only starting now.)”

Daphne bholua is mostly evergreen, except in the coldest of winters when it can shed leaves. The form Darjeeling (highly recommended by Sean) is a vigorous plant that holds on to its narrow, lanceolate leaves in winter better than some other forms. The plant has a narrow, upright form, reaching around 6-8′ tall and 2-3′ wide. Flowers are pale pink, aging to white.

Care: Like most daphnes, D. bholua likes good drainage, although, Sean says, its not the fussiest of the group. Half to full sun is best, resulting in the heavier flowers. Shade is okay but the plants offer sparser flowers. Some summer water is best, as it comes from summer rain areas of – not to put too fine a point on it – Nepal through Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Vietnam, into Sichuan and northwest Yunnan, China.

Tip: Plant Daphne bholua in a protected spot, such as near the base of a south- or west-facing wall and you’ll enjoy earlier flowers that are less likely to be damaged by frosty weather. That means more reliable bouquets all through the winter!

 

A roof-top garden in Middletown and a pond preserve in Westport are among the projects honored recently by the Connecticut Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects.

The Excellence Award for Corporate and Institutional Landscape Architectural Design went to Boston-based Robert Olson Associates for its work designing the rooftop garden at the Community Health Center in Middletown. The Excellence Award is the group’s highest honor.

It was the first garden rooftop design in Connecticut for the firm and one of only a handful constructed in the state. The $17 million, 48,000-square-foot Community Health Center was constructed last year on a dilapidated, asphalt parking lot on Main Street.

Installing rooftop irrigation is similar to setting up ground-level systems, said David Miller, a LEED-certified landscape architect at Robert Olson Associates.

“One of the things we had to figure out was how to run the system up through the core of the building,” said Miller. “We had the elevator and other building components included, so it wasn’t that difficult of a process once we knew where everything was and how it was going to fit.”

Mark Masselli, who started the health clinic in town 40 years ago, envisioned a rooftop garden designed to absorb storm water runoff, cool the building and promote educational opportunities for students and visitors.

“The community surrounding us is important too. Primary care is only one piece of the puzzle,” said Masselli. “People can’t be healthy if their neighborhood isn’t healthy.”

The garden, which has 10 inches of soil, provides a habitat for butterflies and pollination for bees. Masselli coordinates with the nearby elementary school to maintain the plants and vegetables.

“Although not an entirely new practice, rooftop gardens and green roofs are becoming more common,” said Barbara Yaeger, chairperson of the CTASLA Awards Committee and a self-employed landscape architect in Madison.

“As development becomes denser, the value of outdoor green space increases. Rooftops provide an ideal space that not only allows humans to interact with nature, but also provides added benefits of reduced heating and cooling expenses, increased wildlife habitat and storm water management,” said Yaeger.

Towers|Golde LLC, a New Haven-based landscape architect firm, was honored this year for its work at the Gateway Community College. It also earned recognition in 2010 for its rooftop garden at the Betty Ruth Milton B. Hollander Healing Garden at the Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale.

The CTASLA recognized Erskine Middeleer Associates LLC in Georgetown with an award for its Sherwood Pond Preserve in Westport.

The site was formally occupied by Allen’s Clam House, and purchased by the Town of Westport to protect it from developers. After a five-year design and permitting process, the park was constructed over a one-year period starting in 2009, according to Silvia Erskine, a principal at the design firm.

The firm transformed the gravel and asphalt parking areas into a park with walking paths and benches for viewing the flora and fauna of the marsh, and a kayak launch area.

“Each year it seems the projects emphasize more and more the importance of sustainability in designed and built landscapes, with more native plants and green infrastructure on a majority of the projects,” said Yaeger.

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I’m thinking about putting some romance — and shade — into the garden with an arbor. Maybe in a style reminiscent of this one at Red Ridge Farms.
The Oregonian

 

As I scrolled for ideas for an arbor I’m planning, I came across pictures of the work of Rees Roberts + Partners. I’m still drooling. I can’t afford any of the designs, but voyeurism brings inspiration and I got plenty of that. I especially like the Mediterranean project about halfway down the page. A version of the pillared arbor actually might work.  

PINNING IT: Have you tried Pinterest yet? If not, sign on and explore. I love it. As does columnist Christine Arpe Gang, “… with the blossoming Pinterest, gardeners have another great way to connect with the things they love,” writes columnist Christine Arpe Gang. “The online site, which combines social networking with electronic scrapbooking, allows us to envelope ourselves in stunningly beautiful and inspiring virtual environments with the click of a mouse.”

MAKING A DIFFERENCE: On Huffington Post, freelance writer Katherine Gustafson tells the story of how two neighbors changed a crime-infested neighborhood in San Francisco through gardening. One of them told her about coming home one day to find someone had planted a corner of his yard. “Even though there was a throng of people — drug dealers who were carrying guns, pretty scary folks — she had planted flowers on this little strip of dirt by my driveway,” he told me. “I was so moved by that . . . I thought, that’s what life is about. That’s what community development is about. That’s what’s going to change this block faster than any public investment or outside strategy. And in fact it did.”

— Kym Pokorny

See innovative design and spring displays

28 January 2013

Come to the RHS London Plant Design Show on 19-20 February 2013 and immerse yourself in inspirational plant displays and cutting-edge garden design.

See displays of a variety of plants that have received the RHS Award of Garden Merit (AGM) – from conifers to culinary herbs. We highlight the history behind these plants and illustrate why AGM plants are important to horticulture.

The show also launches the new RHS AGM list and the revised RHS hardiness ratings which help to inform gardeners which plants are hardy to certain temperatures in winter.

A platform for young designers

Why not take a look at the garden plans of budding young designers challenged with creating gardens with an ‘Eco-Innovations’ theme? Then see their plans come to life when they build their gardens at this year’s RHS Flower Show Tatton Park in July.

In addition, visitors can get expert advice and inspiration from specialist growers of spring plants. Keep an eye out too for a great buy from the extensive range of garden products and rare and unusual plants.

Buy tickets

Castle Gardens was built as a first-of-its-kind supportive and affordable housing facility for homeless formerly incarcerated individuals and low income families. With this certification, Castle Gardens is now one of the first ten Energy Star multifamily buildings in the US as well as a partner of Enterprise Green Communities and NYSERDA Multifamily programs.

Castle Gardens is equipped with an energy-efficient green design. Energy savings at the project is achieved through high performance insulation system and high-efficiency HVAC, lighting systems, and controls. Over 70% of project’s electricity is achieved from renewable sources via green power purchase.

The complex features a rain harvesting system and an extensive green rooftop garden that encourages residents to grow their own herbs and vegetables. Innovative stormwater capture techniques have been incorporated along with re-use of green roof irrigation and cooling tower technology. The building realises 40% potable water consumption savings due to low flow fixtures and use of dual-flush toilet technologies.

The building also includes aluminum solar shades that block the intense summer sun and keep apartments cool, green paints, sealants and cabinetry that are free of toxic ingredients, a high-efficiency boiler and energy-efficient appliances and lighting.

Further sustainability highlights include 20% of construction materials containing recycled content and sourced regionally; 80% of wood used on the project being Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified; and over 75% of construction waste being diverted from landfill.

Castle Gardens offers 114 studio, 1, 2 and 3 bedroom apartments, a computer lab, library, community room, landscaped roof terraces and meditative area and a 20,000 square-feet Service Center that provides residents with counseling services, case management, financial planning and other essential life skill development courses.

The project was designed by Curtis + Ginsberg LLP while Steven Winter Associates, Inc. was the general contractor on the project.

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Jaime Ferris
jferris@ctcentral.com

Rosemary Verey (1918-2001) is often remembered as the doyenne of 20th-century English garden design, a woman of international renown, the “acknowledged apostle of the ‘English style,’” and the adviser to the rich and famous—think Prince Charles, Sir Elton John and King Hussein. Her most famous garden design is at her home at Barnsley House in the Cotswolds of England, where she spent hours transforming the grounds into a place that still enjoys international acclaim for its beauty.

In America, she was a popular lecturer and a natural teacher who encouraged fellow gardeners “to believe that they were fully capable of creating beautiful gardens while validating their quest for a native vernacular.”

“Good bones,” she believed, “are important, so it is wise to go slowly and get your plan right before launching into a vital project.”

Verey was also a prolific writer of 18 garden books, sharing her expertise with the masses. But she embraced gardening much later in life, and wrote her first book at age 62. And though she dug into gardening late in life, she quickly achieved international acclaim, proving that there is, indeed, life after 60.

Likewise, Washington resident Barbara Paul Robinson, the first woman partner with Debevoise Plimpton and the first woman president of the New York City Bar, has started her own writing career later in life, as well as developing an interest in gardening. Mrs. Robinson and her husband, artist Charles Raskob Robinson, sought respite and bought a derelict 1750s clapboard farmhouse in Washington in 1971. While renovations were underway on the house, Ms. Robinson tackled the landscape, which, she said, ultimately “succumbed to her growing passion for plants.”

Before she knew it, she was totally immersed, so when the opportunity arrived in 1991 for her to take a five-month sabbatical from the law firm, she seized the opportunity and worked as a gardener for Rosemary Verey at her Cotswolds home.

“Rosemary was my boss—and a tough boss, let me tell you—but we ultimately became good friends,” Ms. Robinson said from her home about their 20-year friendship.

Now, Ms. Robinson, paying tribute to her dear friend, has written her first biography, “Rosemary Verey: The Life and Lessons of a Legendary Gardener” (David R. Godine), sharing with those who knew Verey—and those who did not—the extraordinary woman she was, and the remarkable gardening legacy she left behind.

According to Berkshire Style, the book “… all but channels the great Rosemary Verey herself.” Continued…

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